The recently completed Life Sciences Building employs the most technology throughout USU’s campus and has made USU one of the first universities to use Crestron’s new NVX technology on such a large scale. The Classroom team began working on the Life Sciences Building two years ago, meeting with architects to design classrooms and other areas to ensure all tech-heavy spaces were functional for teaching and learning. Once construction was complete, the Classroom team had three months to have all the technology up and running.

From day one, the Classroom team’s main goal was to create environments that promoted engaged learning where professors and students could easily collaborate. The Classroom team met regularly with the College of Science Dean Dr. Maura Hagan and other faculty to make sure classroom designs fit their needs.

“Meeting with Dr. Hagan was paramount for us to know how to design the building’s technology,” said Steve Campbell, classroom technical professional and team lead for the Life Sciences Building project. “The technology empowers faculty to teach more effectively and discover new teaching methods that weren’t possible before. All of this helps students master material more efficiently.”

“The technology empowers faculty to teach more effectively and discover new teaching methods that weren’t possible before. All of this helps students master material more efficiently.”

The Life Sciences Building has 10 laboratories, a GIS lab, 12 study rooms, a conference room, two classrooms, an active-learning space, a 310-seat auditorium, and a café. The active-learning space features the most technology. The room has 12 tables, eight monitors, and four projectors. The professor can project to each table, and each table can project to the rest of the classroom. This gives the professor and students more capabilities for collaboration.

The new-found capabilities are made possible with Audio Visual over Internet Protocol technology, using Crestron’s new NVX system. AV over IP transmits video and audio over the network, rather than through traditional wiring, making complex systems less expensive and easier to install. Working with USU’s IT department, the team implemented a converged audio, video, data network which simplifies control and support. The ultimate goal of the technology is to offer a user-friendly system allowing faculty to focus on engagement rather than technology. Students can easily connect their laptops and mobile devices to their workstations and throughout the entire room to collaborate and share group work.

According to Rose Judd-Murray, a graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. candidate currently teaching in the active-learning space, students are quickly catching on and are taking advantage of the technology. “Without any prompting from me, students are connecting to their group's monitors to share work with their peers. They are also able to submit group work using their laptops in class, making the entire process seamless.”

Teaching & Learning Technologies’ Kevin Reeve and Robby Sproul played a major role in designing the classrooms, and also partnered with the Center for Innovative Design & Instruction to offer trainings for faculty and staff to understand and learn how to use the new technology.